Revolving and folding table



M. H. HOUSTON.

Patented June 10, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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1M. H.-HOUSTON.

REVOLVING AND FOLDING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3I, I918.

1,306,666. Patented June 10, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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IIVVE/VTOR M. H. HOUSTON.

REVOLVING AND FOLDING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3I, 1918.

1,306,666. Patented June 10, 1919.

a SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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MOSES H. HOUSTON, OF HIGHLAND PAR-K, KENTUCKY.

REVOLVING AND FOLDING TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 10,1919.

Application filed August 31, 1918. Serial No. 252,276. 7 V

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Moses H. HOUSTON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new Revolving and Folding Table, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in revolving and folding tables, in which the table top is capable of revolving about a fixed central and vertical pivot to enable persons dining at the board to rotate the table top about in a horizontal plane for the purpose of bringing any required dishes opposite their places from which they may be served without the necessity of lifting and passing dishes from one to another.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement of the above described character in which the rotating table top is arranged to be supported on a collapsible stand, and is detachably supported on the stand so that when not in use the table top may be removed and the stand collapsed, in which condition it will occupy but small space and may be placed against the wall or in some other convenient place.

A further object of the present invention resides in providing an improved construction of pivot bearing upon which the table top is supportedto rotate, and which is in tended to make it extremely easy for those about the board to rotate said table top and to insure the rotation of the top without undue noise, which would be objectionable to the diners.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure l is a perspective View of an improved table top constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 1s also a perspective View showing one form of a frame on which the table top is supported to rotate and which frame may be placed on any of the usual forms of tables or on any suitable support. I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the collapsible stand with the table top removed.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the top supporting ring illustrated in partially collapsed condition.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a leaf carried by said ring.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the interior of the pivot construction; and

Fig. 7 is also a similar fragmentary perspective view showing the exterior parts of the pivot construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in Fig. 1,*A designates generally the table top which is circular in construction and adapted to rotate about a central pivot construction, part of which projects above the upper surface of said table top and is protected by an'ornamental guard 11. The edge of the table top A is also preferably constructed with a depending flange which may also be of any suitable ornamental character, such, for instance, as thesoalloped flange 12 shown in Fig. 1, and the purpose of this flange 12 is to conceal the adjacent parts of the frame about which the table top A rotates, and to prevent the table cover from getting between the table top and the supporting frame.

In Fig.2 I haveillustrated a frame having a center piece B carrying a vertically upstanding pivot pin 4 which is adapted to be engaged by the pivot pin construction carried by' the table top A, as hereinafter described in connection with-Figs. 6 and7. Radiating from the center piece B of the frame shown inFig. 2," are a plurality of arms 13 of wire or any other suitable construction, they being connected at their outer ends toa ring 1A which carries rollers 15 for supporting the outer peripheral edge of the table top A, and permitting the table top to be rotated with respect to said frame.

This frame construction may be removably placed on any of'the usual forms of tables now, in existence, or upon any flat supporting surface, and may receive the table top A and admito'f; the revolving of the same about the frame, so that in this manner the device shown inFigs. 1 and 2 provides for converting any table into a revolving self-serving table; 4

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive, the preferred form of the supporting frame on which the table top A is supported includes a center leg.,or post 1, carrying at its upper end a vertically upstanding pivot 1 engaged by the pivot construction of the table top A. Frames 2 of any suitable construction, having legs 16 are connected to the central post or leg as by the hinges 17, which permit such frames 2 to be rotatable about thecenter leg or post 1, with the obj ect of collapsing said frames together when the table is not in use, or when it is to be transported from place to place.

A ring 3, preferably of angle iron construction, is supported on the outer upper ends of said frames 2, as shown in Fig. 3, and is removably secured thereto by any suitable fastening means, as, for instance, by the set screws 5 shown passing through the vertical flange of said ring 3 and binding against the outer edges of the frames 2. These set screws 5 perform the additional function of holding the frames 2 rigid with respect to each other, and prevent their accidental collapse when the frame is set up.

The ring 8 is made preferably in two semicircular sections which are hinged together at diametrically opposite points, as indicated at 17, which admit of the folding over of one section of the ring upon the other in the manner shown in Fig. 4.

In the horizontal flange of said ring 3 there are made openings at suitable inter vals wherein are journaled rollers 18, per forming a similar function to the previously described rollers 15 and preventing the outer edge of the table top from coming into frictional contact with the ring 3 but supporting such table top edge for easy movement over said ring 3. I

Eyes or staples 6 are secured at suitable intervals to the vertical flange of the ring 3 in order to receive the legs 19 of leaves 20 at which each diner sits and which supports the diners plate.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 6 and 7 in Fig. 6 is shown the central leg or post 1 having a vertical upstanding pivot pin 4 thereon. The table top A carries an upper pivot pin 21 resting upon the upper end of the pivot pin 4, and providing a pivot construction on which the table top may be with little effort put in motion. The upper pivot pin is carried by a hollow cap piece 7 being threaded on its interior, as indicated at 22, in order to have screw threaded engagement with the threads 28 on the hollow sleeve 8 in which the pivots 4 and 21 are confined. The hollow sleeve 8 has a second screw threaded portion 24 on which the plates 9 and 10 are threaded, and these plates 9 and 10 are adapted to clamp the table top A therebetween.

In Fig. 7 the pivot pin 21 and the pivot pin 4 are shown drawn out, but when assembled the upper pivot pin 21 descends within the sleeve 8 and the threads 22 on the cap piece 7 are screwed onto the threads 23 on the sleeve 8, so that said sleeve 8 carries the cap piece 7 and the cap piece 7 in turn carries the upper pivot 21. Now the table top A is carried by the plates 9 and 10 held on the sleeve 8, and therefore this table top is supported by the upper pivot 21 resting on the lower pivot 4, as shown in Fig. 6.

The operation of the invention is substantially as follows:

The table top A is supported on a frame such as shown in Fig. 2 or on the frame shown in Fig. 3, and by reason of the pivot construction just described, such table top A is capable of rotary movement in a horizontal direction about the central pivot 4. The diners seated at the various leaves 20 arranged about the table top A, have only to grasp the edge of the table top A and rotate the same in either direction to bring any desired dish on the table top opposite their particular leaf 20, and they may then help themselves to this dish, after which they may again put the table top into motion to bring any subsequent dish to a similar position, and in this manner they may be served from all of the various dishes placed on the table top A by simply rotating the table top to bring the dishes opposite to their plates without having to lift the dishes from one to another.

It will be appreciated that the arrange ient of the improved pivot construction eliminates practically all noise that would otherwise be incident tow the revolving movement of the table top, as such noise is extremely objectionable under the circumstances of dining.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claims.

I claim:

1. In a table of the character described, the combination of a frame including a central leg, frames collapsibly secured to said central leg, outer legs carried by said frame, a ring seated on the outer edges of said collapsible frames, means for securing the ring to the outer ends of said detachable frames whereby to hold the ring in place and prevent the collapse of said frames, rollers carried by said ring, a pivot carried by said central leg, a table top jou-r naled on said pivot and having its outer edges adapted to rest on said rollers, and leaves carried by said ring, substantially as described.

2. In a table of the character described, the combination of a central leg, collapsible frames hinged to said central leg, outer legs carried by said frames, a ring supported on the upper outer ends of said collapsible frames, means for detachably holding said ring in place on the outer ends of said collapsible frames, and also holding the frames against collapse, leaves removably supported around said ring, and a revoluble table top secured by said ring and central leg, substantially as described.

3. In a table of the character described, the combination of a central leg, collapsible vertical frames hinged to said leg, outer legs carried by said frames, a ring carried 5 on the upper outer ends of said frames, fastening means engaging With said ring and frames to hold the ring in place and the frames against collapse, a pivot pin on said central leg, and a table top supported for 10 revolution in a horizontal plane about said pivot pin, with leaves extending about the ring and adjoining the edge of the table top, substantially as described.

described.

MOSES H. HOUSTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

